Machine and method for use in the manufacture of shoes



March 31, 1942. s. H. BELL MACHINE AND METHOD FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed March 8, 1941 an N as s Patented Mar. 31, 1942 MACHINE AND IWETHOD FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Gordon H. Bell, Wenham, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application March 8, 1941, Serial No. 382,352

10 Claims.

This invention relates to methods and machines for use in the manufacture of shoes and is herein illustrated as embodied in a fastening inserting machine for use in securing shoe uppers to sole members in the manufacture of stitchdown shoes.

In securing the uppers of stitchdown shoes in lasted relation to their sole members, for example, their insoles, the outturned flange around the lower margin of the upper is usually attached to the marginal portion of the sole member which projects beyond the last bottom by fastenings, such as staples, which are driven downwardly through the outturned flange of the upper and the margin of the sole member and are clinched against the bottom surface of the sole member. The last with the shoe parts assembled thereon is usually presented to the fastening inserting machine right side up but, owing to the different curvatures of the last, the latter must be held at various angles to the horizontal as the operation progresses in order to locate the staples well in the crease ,or angle formed by the outturned flange and as close as desired to the edge of the last bottom. Even then it is sometimes difiicult to insert the staples in the shank portion of the upper because the mechanism of the fastening inserting machine often prevents the last from being turned into a suflicient angle to permit the staples to be located properly at such portion.

Objects of the present invention are to provide an improved method of making stitchdown shoes in the practice of which the above difficulties are eliminated, and to provide an improved machine for use in carrying out such methods.

To the attainment of these objects the invention providestan improved fastening inserting machine having staple forming and guiding means thereon constructed and arranged to form a staple in an inverted position with its legs extending upwardly, and provided with further means for driving the staple upwardly into'a work piece. As illustrated, the staple forming and guiding means includes inside and outside formers and a reciprocable driving throat, the throat and outside former having alined, guideway formed therein through which the staple passes upwardly into the work piece.

The illustrated machine is also provided, in accordance with a feature of the invention, with means including an anvil especially adapted to engage a shoe upper and work it into close conformity with the curvature of a last and to press the outturned flange of the upper against the portion of a sole member which projects beyond the last bottom, the anvil facing downwardly and being arranged to clinch the staples against the top surface of said outturned flange. As herein illustrated, the anvil is so positioned that it will clinch the staples in close proximity to the edge of the last bottom.

In another aspect the invention provides an improved method of making shoes in which a sole member and an upper are assembled on a last with the lower margin of the upper turned outwardly to form a flange and the sole member projecting beyond the last bottom. The last and assembled shoe parts are then presented right side up to a fastening inserting machine which, as herein illustrated, is constructed and arranged to drive fastenings, such, for example, as staples, upwardly in an inverted position, the machine being also provided with a downwardly facing clinching anvil. In accordance with the method, the upper and anvil are moved relatively to each other to work the upper into close conformity with the curvature of the last and to force the outturned flange of the upper intmengagement with the projecting margin of the sole member. The machine is then operated, while the work is so held, to drive the fastenings upwardly through the sole member and the outturned flange of the upper, the fastenings entering the bottom surface of the sole member and passing upwardly through the flange of the upper. The

,fastenings are then clinched by the anvil against the top surface of the outturned flange of the upper. The above operations may be repeated at spaced intervals around the shoe, including its shank portion, to secure the upper in lasted relation to the sole member around the entire shoe. Theillustrated method permits theupper of a stitchdown shoe to be secured in lasted relation position where it can easily be seen by the operator because the shoe is positioned right side up and with its sole member held substantially horizontal during the entire fastening inserting operation.

With the above and other objects and aspects in View, the invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will thereafter be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the staple forming, driving and clinching instrumentalities of the machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a shoe upper and a sole member assembled on a last, the lower margin of the upper extending outwardly to form a flange and the marginal portion of the sole member projecting beyond the last bottom;

Fig. 4 illustrates the operation of stapling the upper to the sole member around the forepart of the shoe, the last and shoe parts being shown in section;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the stapling operation at the shank portion of the shoe;

Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the shoe parts after the upper has been stapled to the sole member around the entire shoe;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing the manner in which staples are driven into the upper and sole member; and

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the shoe after an outsole and a welt have been attached thereto.

The illustrated invention comprises a fastening inserting machine arranged to form fastenings, such as staples, in an inverted position with their legs extending upwardly and to drive these staples upwardly into the work where they are clinched by a downwardly facing anvil arranged to engage the work opposite the staple forming and driving instrumentalities. The invention further comprises an improved method of making shoes carried out with the aid of such a machine. The illustrated machine may be of the general type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,079,040, granted May 4, 1937, on an application filed in the name of C. A. Robinson, the operating instrumentalities of the machine, however, being inverted, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the staple will be formed upside down and will be driven upwardly rather than downwardly, as in the patent referred to. The machine may be further modified by eliminating the work support disclosed in the patent and also by providing a different type of clinching anvil, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The machine disclosed in the patent referred to is provided with a driver plunger (not shown) operated by a roll on a fixed arm which rotates with the main shaft of the machine. This driver plunger slides vertically in a guideway formed in a second plunger which is also moved vertically in a guideway in the frame It] of the machine by a cam lever, this second plunger operating a reciprocable driving throat l2 and having a predetermined reciprocatory movement. The machine is further provided with an inside former l4 arranged to slide forwardly and rearwardly in a horizontal guideway formed in the frame of the machine and normally spring pressed into its forward or operative position, which is determined by shoulders on the inside former abutting against surfaces provided on the driving throat l2. The inside former M is withdrawn after a staple has been formed by a cammember (not shown) pivoted on the frame l0 and arranged to be swung rearwardly by upward movement of the driving throat l2 as it moves into engagement with the work.

An outside former I6 is fixedly mounted on the plunger which actuates the driving throat l2, and a driver I8 is secured to the first-named plunger and moves in a guideway formed in the outside former and in the driving throat 12. As disclosed in the patent referred to, the guideway 20 for the driver is normally continuous but, in order to permit the legs of the staple to be bent around the inside former, an'immediate portion of the guideway is provided by a small sliding block 22 which is depressed rearwardly against a spring 24 while the outside former is bending the legs of the staples, after which the spring returns the block to its forward position to complete the guideway.

The mechanism described above is fully disclosed in the Robinson patent referred to and, accordingly, it need not be further described herein since reference may be had to that patent for a more complete description of the machine. The wire for forming the staples, indicated by the numeral 25 in Fig. 1, is fed through a conduit into position below the inside former and it is severed by a movable cutter (not shown) carried by the plunger which actuates the driving throat I2.

It will be see from the foregoing that, in the machine as herein organized, the driving throat [2 moves upwardly a predetermined distance to bring it against the work to be operated upon, for example, the upper and sole member of a stitchdown shoe, and, during this movement, a staple is formed in an inverted position by the inside and outside formers with its legs extending upwardly, after which the driver [8 is operated to drive the staple upwardly into the sole member and upper through the guideway 20 formed in the driving throat and outside former.

As indicated above, the staple is clinched against the top surface of the outturned flange of the upper by a downwardly facing anvil some what different in construction from the kind usually employed in such machines. As herein illustrated, the anvil comprises a hardened steel block 26 of the usual type provided with two clinching cavities, this block being carried in the extreme forward end of a stationary arm 28 adjustably mounted in a guideway 29' formed in the frame of the machine. The arm 28 extends forwardly so that the anvil block carried in its operative end is located directly above the driving throat l2. Moreover, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the upper side of the forward end of the stationary arm 28 is cut away as shown at 30 and slopes downwardly in a gradual curve to provide a convex surface thereon especially adapted to engage the shoe upper and work it into lasted position against the sides of the last. The anvil Z6 is retained in the forward end of the arm 28 by splitting the arm as shown at 32 and clamping the anvil between the two split portions by a clamping screw 34.

The driving throat of the machine disclosed in the patent referred to tapers toward its work engaging end, as is usual in such machines. However, in carrying out the present invention, the illustrated driving throat I2 is provided on its outer or left-hand side, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, with a laterally extending lug or projection 36 of substantial length, the top surface 38 of this projection lying in a plane that slopes or declines gradually from the top end of the driving throat. This projection may be secured to the driving throat in any usual or convenient manner and is illustrated herein as secured thereto by screws 39. The purpose of this lateral projection can be better explained in connection with the method aspects of the invention a description of which follows.

In practising the illustrated method of making stitchdown shoes with the aid of the machine disclosed herein, a shoe upper 40 (Fig. 3) is assembled on a last 42 with a sole member 44, which may be either an insole or an extension or midsole, the lower margin of the upper being turned outwardly to form a flange 46 and the marginal portion of the sole member projecting beyond the last bottom, as is usual in stitchdown shoe constructions. The last and assembled shoe parts are presented right side up to the fastening inserting machine, as shown in Fig. 4, and the upper is pressed against the curved end of the arm 28 carrying the anvil and moved past the arm so that the relative movement of the upper and the arm will work the upper into close conformity with the curvature of the last and will also press the outturned flange 46 of the upper into engagement with the projecting margin of the sole member. After the flange 46 has been brought into engagement with the margin of the sole member the machine is tripped by a usual treadle connection (not shown) and the reciprocable driving throat l2 moves upwardly into engagement with the sole member during which time the outside former l6 likewise moves upwardly to form a staple 48 around the, inside former I4 with the legs of the staple extending upwardly, after which the inside former is withdrawn and the driver I8 operates to drive the inverted staple upwardly into the sole member and the outturned flange of the upper. As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the staple 48 enters the bottom surface of the sole member and passes upwardly through the margin thereof and through the flange 46 of the upper, the legs of the staple being clinched by the anvil 26 against the top surface of the flange.

The lateral projection 36 referred to on the driving throat I2 is arranged so that its inclined upper surface 38 will engage the sole member inwardly of its projecting margin, that is, under a portion of the sole member which engages the last bottom particularly when stapling along the shank portion of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 5.

This projection serves to limit the angle into which the last and sole member may be turned during the staple inserting operation at the shank portion, where the curvature of the last is greater than at other portions, and consequently assists in maintaining the sole member in a r proper plane while the staples are driven. In other words, the projection 36 prevents the projecting margin of the sole member from being bent too far out of the plane of the last bottom when the staples are driven which would tend to set up stresses or strains in the shoe parts, especially in the upper, that might cause the marginal portion of the sole member to curve out of the plane of the last bottom after the fastening inserting operation has been performed and thereby produce a cupped or concave bottom on the sole member. Since the forward end of the arm 28 carrying the anvil has been considerably reduced in size and shaped especially to enter the crease in the upper formed by the outturned flange 46, the staples can, of course, be located in close proximity to the line which forms the edge of the last bottom. When inserting the staples around the forepart and heel portions of the upper, where the curvatures of the last are not so great as at the shank portion, the last may be held substantially horizontal, as shown in Fig. 4, and the projection 36 is not necessary although it would, of course, limit the angle if the last is swung out of the horizontal.

The above described operations are repeated at spaced intervals around the entire shoe bottom, including both sides of its shank portion, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby completing the act or step of securing the shoe upper 40 in lasted relation to the sole member 44 in a single continuous operation. After the upper has been secured in lasted relation to the sole member, it may, if referred, be thread lasted to the sole member by stitches 49 (Fig. 8), although this operation is optional and need not be performed unless desired. However, if the upper is thread lasted to the sole member, the stitches 49, as shown in Fig. 8, should preferably be located inside the row of staples 48. If the needle of the stitching machine, however, should happen to strike a staple, the barb of the needle will not be broken, as usually happens in this operation but, on the contrary, the needle in passing downwardly through the flange of the upper and 'insole projection, will merely push or drive the staple completely out of the materials because the staples are inverted and clinched on the top side of the flange of the upper and accordingly will be forced out by the downwardly moving needle without breaking the needle or damaging the work in any way.

An outsole 50 may now be laid, after which the outsole and a welt 52 may be permanently attached to the shoe by stitches 54 which pass through the welt, the outturned flange of the upper, the inner sole member 44 and the outsole to complete the shoe, as shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 7 illustrates in detail the manner in which the staples 48 are inserted upwardly through the sole member and upper and are clinched by the anvil against the top surface of the flange 46 of the upper.

Among the advantages of the present method, carried out with the aid of the machine illustrated herein, are that the shoe upper may be secured in lasted relation to a sole member, such as an insole or a midsole, completely around the shoe bottom, including the shank portion, in a single operation which requires the use of only one machine. The staples or other fastening means may be inserted closer to the edge of the last bottom than has been possible heretofore because they are driven upwardly through the sole member and theoutturned flange of the upper and are clinched against the top side of the flange by an anvil carried by an arm which is especially adapted to enter into the crease or angle formed by the upper flange with the side of the last. Since the staples are located in close proximity to the edge of the last bottom, the upper may be secured in much tighter lasted relation to the sole member than has been possible heretofore with conventional fastening inserting machines. Moreover, since the shoe is presented to the machine right side up and with its sole member substantially horizontal, the operator can watch the operation and see that the staples are being inserted as close as desired to the edge of the last bottom and he is not obliged to twist or turn the lastinto various angles as the work progresses to permit the staples to be inserted properly even along the shank portion of the shoe. As pointed out above, the lateral projection 36 on the side of the reciprocable driving throat l2 limits the angle into which the last and sole'member can be turned when stapling along the shank portion of the shoe and accordingly prevents the upper and sole member from being subjected to tensions or strains that will tend to cause the projecting marginal portion of the sole member to bend out of the general plane of the last bottom after the stapling operation is completed to produce a cupped or concave effect on the bottom of the shoe. Since the sole member, including its projecting marginal portion, retains its relatively flat shape after the fastening inserting operation, the attachment of the outsole and welt, and the subsequent operations on the shoe such, for example, as the bottom leveling operation, are greatly facilitated. Moreover, as stated above, if it is desired to thread last the upper to the sole member after the stapling operation has been performed, the stitching may be done without danger of breaking the needle because if it strikes a staple in its downward movement it will merely push the staple completely out of the shoe materials.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, staple forming and guiding means including inside and outside formers and a driving throat constructed and arranged to form a staple in an inverted position with its legs extending upwardly, means including an anvil above said throat shaped to engage a shoe upper assembled with a sole member on a last with the lower margin of the upper turned outwardly to form a flange and the marginal portion of the sole member projecting beyond the last bottom, said means being arranged to work the upper into close conformity with the curvature of the last and to press the outturned flange of the upper against the projecting portion of the sole member, and means for driving the staple upwardly through the sole member and the flange of the upper, said anvil being arranged to clinch the staple against the top surface of said flange and in close proximity to the edge of the last bottom.

2. A fastening inserting machine having, in

combination, staple forming and guiding means including inside and outside formers and a reciprocable throat constructed and arranged to form a staple in an inverted position with its legs extending upwardly, means including an anvil above said throat arranged to engage a shoe upper assembled on a last with a sole member and presented to the machine right side up, said upper having a lower outturned flange and said sole member having its marginal portion projecting beyond the last bottom, said means having a curved end portion shaped to work the upper into close conformity with the curvature of the last and to press the flange of the upper downwardly against the projecting portion of the sole member, and a driver for driving the inverted staple upwardly into the bottom of the sole member and through the outturned flange 'of the upper, said anvil being arranged to clinch the staple against the top surface of said flange and being mounted in a position that will cause it to clinch the staple close to the periphery of the last bottom.

3. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, staple forming and guiding means including inside and outside formers and a movable driving throat, said means being constructed and arranged to form a staple in an inverted position with its legs extending upwardly, a member mounted above said throat for engaging an upper assembled on a last with a sole member and presented to the machine right side up, said upper having an outturned flange at its lower portion and said sole member having its marginal portion projecting beyond the last bottom, the forward end of said upper engaging member being shaped to work the upper into close conformity with the curvature of the last at spaced intervals around the entire last, including its shank portion, said upper engaging member being also arranged to press the flange of the upper against the projecting portion of the sole member, a driver for driving the staples into the sole member and flange of the upper at said spaced intervals around the last, the staples entering the bottom surface of the sole member and passing upwardly through said sole member and the outturned flange of the upper, and an anvil carried by said member for clinching the staples against the top surface of said flange, said anvil being retained in said member by clamping means and being positioned to clinch the staples along a line closely following the periphery of the last bottom.

4. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, staple forming and guiding means including inside and outside formers and a reciprocable driving throat constructed and arranged to form a staple with its legs extending upwardly, a stationary arm mounted above said throat and arranged to engage a shoe upper assembled on a last with a sole member and presented to the machine right side up with the sole member substantially horizontal, said upper having an outturned flange at its lower margin and said sole member projecting beyond the last bottom, said stationary arm having an operative end shaped to work the upper tightly around the last and to press the outturned flange of the upper against the projecting portion of the sole member, a driver for driving the staples upwardly into the sole member and the flange of the upper from the bottom side of the sole member, an anvil carried by said arm for clinching the staples against the top surface of said flange adjacent to the edge of the last bottom, and means for engaging the sole member under the last when the staples are driven and limiting the angle into which the last and sole member may be turned out of the horizontal during the driving operation.

5. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, staple forming and guiding means including inside and outside formers and a reciprocable driving throat constructed and arranged to form a staple in an inverted position with its legs extending upwardly, an arm mounted above said throat and arranged to engage a shoe upper assembled on a last with an insole and presented to the machine right side up, said upper having a lower outturned flange and said insole having its marginal portion projecting beyond the last bottom, said arm having its forward end arranged to work the upper into lasted relation to the insole and to press said outturned flange against the projecting portion of the insole, a driver for driving the staples upwardly through guideways in the throat and outside former and into the insole and outturned flange of the upper around the entire upper, including its shank portion, the staples entering the bottom side of the insole and passing upwardly through the insole and said outturned flange, an anvil carried on the forward end of said arm for clinching the staples against the top surface of the outturned flange, said anvil being positioned in the arm to clinch the staples as close as possible to the edge of the last bottom, and a projection extending laterally from the upper end of said throat and having an inclined upper surface thereon arranged to engage a portion of the insole which engages the last bottom and thereby to limit the angle into which the last may be turned when staples are being inserted along the shank portion of the insole and upper.

6. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises assembling a sole member and an upper on a last with the lower margin of the upper turned outwardly to form a flange and the marginal portion of the sole member projecting beyond the last bottom, presenting the last and shoe parts right side up to a fastening inserting machine arranged to drive fastenings upwardly and provided with a downwardly facing anvil, moving the upper and anvil relatively to each other to work the upper into close conformity with the curvature of the last and to force the outturned flange of the upper into engagement with the projecting margin of the sole member, operating the machine to drive a fastening into the sole member and the flange of the upper, said fastening entering the bottom surface of the sole member and passing upwardly through said flange, and clinching the fastening by said anvil against the top surface of the 7. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises assembling an upper and a sole member on a last with the lower portion of the upper turned outwardly to form a flange and the margin of the sole member projecting beyond the last bottom, presenting the last and shoe parts right side up to a staple inserting machine arranged to form and drive staples upwardly and provided with a reciprocable driving throat and a clinching anvil, locating the upper and the projecting margin of the sole member between said throat and said anvil and relatively moving the throat and anvil to work the upper into the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole member and also to press the flange of the upper against said projecting margin, operating the machine to drive a staple upwardly into the sole member and the flange of the upper, said staple entering the bottom surface of the sole member and passing upwardly through said member and the flange of the upper, and clinching said staple by the anvil against the top surface of said flange.

8. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises assembling an upper and a sole member on a last with the lower margin of the upper turned outwardly to form a flange and the marginal portion of the sole member projecting beyond the last bottom, presenting the assembled shoe parts right side up to a fastening inserting machine arranged to drive staples upwardly and provided with a downwardly facing anvil, relatively moving the upper and anvil to work the upper into close conformity with the curvature of the last and to force the outsole.

outturned flange of the upper into engagement with the projecting margin of the sole member, operating the machine to drive a fastening into said sole member and said outturned flange, said fastening entering the bottom surface of the sole member and passing upwardly through said member and the outturned flange, clinching the fastenings by the anvil against the top surface of said flange, and repeating said operations at different points around the shoe bottom.

9. That improvement in methods of making stitchdown shoes which comprises assembling an insole and an upper on a last with the lower margin of the upper turned outwardly to form a flange and the margin portion of the insole projecting beyond the last bottom, presenting the assembled shoe parts right side up to a staple inserting machine, arranged to form staples in an inverted position and to drive them upwardly into work pieces, said machine being provided with a stationary arm having a downwardly facing clinching anvil mounted thereon, pressing the upper against said arm to work the upper into close conformity with the curvature of the last and to force the outurned flange of the upper into engagement with the projecting portion of the insole, operating the machine while the upper is so held to drive a staple into the insole and outturned flange, said staple entering the bottom surface of the insole and passing upwardly through the insole and outturned flange, clinching said staple by the anvil against the top surface of said flange and close to the periphery of the last bottom, and repeating said operations at spaced intervals around the entire shoe, including its shank portion, thereby securing the entire upper in lasted relation to the insole.

10. That improvement in methods of making stitchdown shoes which comprises assembling a sole member and an upper on a last with the lower portion of the upper turned outwardly to form a flange land the marginal portion of the sole member projecting beyond the last bottom, presenting the last and shoe parts right side up and with the sole member substantially horizontal to a staple inserting machine arranged to drive staples upwardly and provided with a downwardly facing anvil mounted in anarm having a curved end adapted to engage the upper, said anvil being located at the extreme outer end of said arm, pressing the upper against the curved end of said arm and working it into close conformity with the curvature of the last while forcing the outturned flange of the upper against the projecting margin of the sole member, operating the machine to drive a staple upwardly into the sole member and the flange of the upper, said staple entering the bottom surface of the sole member and passing upwardly through said member and said outturned flange and being clinched by said anvil against the top side of said flange, repeating the operations at spaced intervals around the entire shoe bottom, including its shank portion, along a line closely following the periphery of the last bottom, applying a welt to the outturned flange of the upper, and attaching an outsole to the shoe by stitches which pass through the welt, upper, sole member and GORDON H. BELL. 

